Portable rescue device

ABSTRACT

A portable rescue device is described which comprises a double acting elongated hydraulic cylinder and piston. A cylinder swivel block is mounted to one end of the cylinder and has freedom of rotation in a plane including the cylinder axis. A cylinder hook is mounted on the swivel block and also has freedom of rotation in the plane including the cylinder axis. The elongated cylinder includes a support block for supporting the swivel block in a position perpendicular to the cylinder axis. In this position the cylinder swivel block has a face directed axially away from the cylinder which forms a relatively flat surface, approximately perpendicular to the cylindar axis. A rod hook is also mounted to the end of a piston rod by means of a rod swivel clamp. The swivel clamp also has a flat surface facing away from the cylinder when the rod swivel clamp is rotated to the side. The portable rescue device also includes a chain attaching yoke which slips about a cylinder shoulder adjacent to the end of the cylinder out of which the piston rod extends for mounting a hook to the device at that point. A control valve mounted on the cylinder provides precise control for driving the piston out of the cylinder in delicate situations.

United States Patent [1 1 Bearden, Jr.

1 PORTABLE RESCUE DEVICE Richard D. Bearden, Jr., 8817 Granby St., Norfolk, Va. 23503 [22] Filed: Oct. 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 407,850

[76] Inventor:

254/93 H, 93 VA, 133 R, 133 A, 134, 124, DIG. 4, DIG. 14; 29/238, 239

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,576,204 3/1926 Maxey 72/407 2,010,713 8/1935 Countryman 72/705 X 2,100,564 1 H1930 Mandl et al 254/93 H X 3,141,493 7/1964 Textor, Sr 72/705 X 3,298,663 l/l967 Hextell 254/93 R X 3,304,059 2/1967 Siliznoff et al 72/705 X 3,518,864 7/1970 Pietronuto et a1. 72/705 X 3,589,680 6/1971 Kuhn 72/705 X 3,662,994 5/1972 Johns. 254/93 R 3,754,432 8/1973 Hagerty 72/705 X 3,762,688 10/1973 Leonhardt.. 254/93 R 3,819,153 6/1974 Hurst 254/93 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,009,417 5/1957 Germany 254/93 R Primary ExaminerC. W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-D. M. Gurley Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Griffin, Branigan and Butler June 24, 1975 l 5 7 ABSTRACT A portable rescue device is described which comprises a double acting elongated hydraulic cylinder and piston. A cylinder swivel block is mounted to one end of the cylinder and has freedom of rotation in a plane including the cylinder axis. A cylinder hook is mounted on the swivel block and also has freedom of rotation in the plane including the cylinder axis. The elongated cylinder includes a support block for supporting the swivel block in a position perpendicular to the cylinder axis. In this position the cylinder swivel block has a face directed axially away from the cylinder which forms a relatively flat surface, approximately perpendicular to the cylindar axis. A rod hook is also mounted to the end of a piston rod by means of a rod swivel clamp. The swivel clamp also has a flat surface facing away from the cylinder when the rod swivel clamp is rotated to the side.

The portable rescue device also includes a chain attaching yoke which slips about a cylinder shoulder adjacent to the end of the cylinder out of which the piston rod extends for mounting a hook to the device at that point.

A control valve mounted on the cylinder provides precise control for driving the piston out of the cylinder in delicate situations.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates broadly to the art of spreading tools and more particularly to such tools to be used to spread portions of automobile bodies which have been deformed by collisions.

Rescue squads arriving at automobile accidents often find it useful to have tools for quickly ripping sections of vehicles apart for extricating survivors trapped in the vehicles. Such devices are superior to torches and cutting-wheel blades which produce undue heat and thereby cieate fire hazards' One of the most useful such toolsQcomprises scissorslike jaws, the points of which are inserted into a crack and the jaws thereafter opened to enlarge the crack. Such a device is described in U.SL Pat. No. 2,447,401 to Ferguson, et al. This device weighs about.60 pounds and currently costs almost $4,000. Although this tool is often effective, it is somewhat cumbersome and unduly expensive. Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a portable rescue tool which is not unduly heavy in weight or expensive.

Some other prior-art patents disclose elongated cylinder/pistomtypeautomobile-body deforming apparatus as follows:. U.S. Pats. Nos. 2,200,133 to Mandl; 3,081,066 to Murawski; 3,111,159 to Jenkins; $395,501 to Largu'e, et al; and 3,518,864 to Pietranuto, at al. some of the devices described in these patents, as well as the jaw device described above, have limited strokes, which restricts their uselhlness. Some of these devices employ hand pumps to provide moti- Vining forces, whichmakes them somewhat slow. Some of them can only be activated to respectively expand or contract which also restricts their usefulness. Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a portable automobile body deforming tool which has a significantly long stroke, is relatively fast in operation, and can be used for both pulling and pushing.

In the devices described in the above patents the attaching members on the cylinders and pistons are rather specialized so that the devices can be conveniently used for either pulling or pushing, but not easily for both. Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide attaching fittings for a cyiinder/ iston-type automobile body deformer which may be conveniently used botth as bases for pushing and as attachments for gripping chains, or other tethe' rs, for pulling.

It has been found that some prior-art cylinder/piston body deformers have a tendency to bind and/or bend when being used to pullfrom either end when cylinder axes are not in line with the directions of pull. That is, rotational forces are applied to the cylinder and piston so that a great deal of friction is created, Also, it is difficult with prior-art cylinder/piston devices to pull on two points which are not spaced from one another a greater distance than the length of a cylinder. Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a pulling device which has a lesser tendency to bind than prior-art tools and which can be used to pull on two points which are closer together than the length of a cylinder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to principles of this invention a cylinder/ piston portable rescue device includes a cylinder hook attached to one end of a cylinder by means of a cylinder swivel block and a rod hook attached to the end of a piston rod by means ofa rod swivel clamp. The cylinder swivel block allows the cylinder hook to be in line with the cylinder axis for direct pulling,

The cylinder swivel block and the cylinder hook can rotate in a plane including the cylinder axis. A welded support block prevents the cylinder swivel block from rotating further than a position perpendicular to the cylinder axis. In this position, a flat surface of the swivel block faces axially away from the cylinder to be used as a base for pushing and the cylinder hook can extend along the cylinder for pulling.

The rod swivel clamp also has a flat base for pushin when the rod hook is rotated to the side of the rod.

Also, according to principles of the invention, a chain yoke having a hook attached thereto is mountable on a shoulder of the cylinder adjacent the piston rod end of the cylinder. Thus, the yoke-mounted hook and the rod hook can be used for pulling on points separated by short distances. Also, this arrangement helps prevent binding of the cylinder and piston rod during pulling as well as bending of these two members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects, features, andadvantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles of the invention in a clear manner.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a cylinder/piston portable rescue device employing principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a cylinder swivel block portion of the portable rescue device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view depicting the portable rescue device of FIG. 1 when it is expanded for pushing;

device of this invention in an expanded for pulling" mode of operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1 there is depicted therein a cylinder/piston portable rescue device 11 of this invention. Basically, a gasoline-motor-driven hydraulicpump power source (not shown) is connected to a double acting cylinder 13 via positive and negative pressure connecting hoses l5 and 17, a control valve 19 and first and second cylinder-connected hoses 21 and 23. A piston 27 is moved within the cylinder 13 by a differential of hydraulic pressure on its left and right sides as seen in FIG. 1. When a control-valve handle 29 is in a first radial position a negative pressure is applied via hose 21 to the left side of the piston 27 and a positive pressure is applied via the hose 23 to the right of the piston 27, and the piston 27 is driven to the left as seen in FIG. 1. When the control-valve handle 29 is in a second radial position, the positive and negative hydraulic pressures are reversed and the piston 27 is driven to the right as seen in FIG. 1.

The control valve 19 is attached to the cylinder 13 by metal bands or the like. A metallic handle 33 is attached to the cylinder 13 by means of bands (not shown) which are wound tightly about the cylinder 13. The handle 33 is riveted to the bands as well as to itself at 35. A securing ring 37 is attached to the handle 33 for guiding the positive and negative pressure connecting hoses l and 17. Also, supports 39 extending between a housing of the control valve 19 and the securing ring 37 protect the hoses 15, 17, 21 and 23 when the cylinder/piston portable rescue device 11 lies on its side.

A piston rod end of the cylinder 13 is basically closed off by a piston-rod cap 41. The piston-rod cap 41 defines a fluid transfer opening 43 which communicates with the second cylinder-connected hose 23 to allow fluid to be transferred between the second cylinderconnected hose 23 and the interior of the cylinder 13. The piston-rod cap 41 also defines a piston-rod opening 45 through which the piston-rod 31 extends. The piston-rod cap 41 also forms a shoulder 47, the usefulness of which is described below.

A cylinder end of the cylinder 13 is basically closed off by a cylinder cap 49. The cylinder cap 49 defines a fluid transfer opening 51 whichh provides communication between the first cylinder-connected hose 21 and the interior of the cylinder 13.

A mounting arm 53 is formed on the cylinder cap 49 and extends axially away from the cylinder 13. A cylinder swivel block 55 is rotatably attached to the mounting arm 53 by means of a pin 57. A cylinder tether attaching device such as a cylinder hook 59 is similarly attached to the cylinder swivel block 55 by means ofa pin 61. It should be noted that both the cylinder swivel block 55 and the cylinder hook 59 have freedom of rotation in the same plane which includes the axis of extension of the cylinder 13.

A support block 63 is welded to the cylinder cap 49 to provide a support for the cylinder swivel block 55. With reference to FIG. 2, the cylinder swivel block 55 and the cylinder book 59 are normally in the dashed line position when the cylinder/piston portable rescue device 11 is contracted for pulling. However, they are in the solid line position when the cylinder/piston portable rescue device is expanded for pushing or pulling. In this regard, in the solid line position, the support block 63 holds the cylinder swivel block 55 in a position approximately perpendicular to the cylinder 13 axis. Also in this position, the cylinder hook 59 is held away from the side of the cylinder 13 but yet longitudinal pulling forces of the hook are directed through the support block 63 along the cylinder when the cylinder hook 59 is used for pulling.

It should also be noted that, in this position, a surface 65 of the cylinder swivel block 55 which faces away from the cylinder 13 is flat and lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder 13. This surface can be used as a stable pushing base when expanding the cylinder/piston portable rescue device 11 for pushing.

The piston rod 31 is internally threaded and has an attachment end 67 extending outside the cylinder 13. Various attaching devices can be screwed into the attachment end 67; however, in the preferred embodiment an eye 69 is screwed into the rod. A rod-swivel clamp 71 is rotatably attached to the eye 69 by a pin 73 and a rod tether attaching device such as a rod hook 75 is rotatably attached to the rod-swivel clamp 71 by a pin 77. The rod-swivel clamp 71 and the rod hook 75 can be extended linearly away from the piston rod 31,

as shown in FIG. 4, or can be rotated to either side as can best be understood from FIG. 1. When rotated to either side. the rod-swivel clamp 71 has flat surfaces 79 which serve as pushing bases when the cylinder/piston portable rescue device 11 is expanded.

A second cylinder tether attaching device includes a chain yoke or collar 81 which comprises a circular chain 83 (See FIG. 5) with two hook supporting chains 85 attached to opposite sides thereof for attaching a yoke hook 87 (FIG. 1) to the circular portion 83. The circular portion 83 is mountable on the piston-rod cap 41 whereon it butts against the shoulder 47.

In the expanding-for-pushing mode of operation, with reference to FIG. 3, both the cylinder swivel block 55 and the rod-swivel clamp 71 are rotated to the side so that flat surfaces thereof 65 and 79 face away from the cylinder 13. These surfaces form excellent bases which are placed against portions 89 and 91 of a vehicle to be spread apart. In this case, the portions to be spread apart are sufficiently far apart that the cylinder/ piston portable rescue device 11 can be placed between these portions and expanded, i.e., the piston rod 31 driven out of the cylinder 13.

In a second, and similar, expanding-for-pulling" mode of operation, where the distance between two elements to be pushed, or pulled, apart is not great enough to fully insert the cylinder/piston portable rescue device between them such as where a car roof is to be lifted at a point above a dashboard the device is expanded for pulling. In this mode (FIG. 6) the cylinder hook 59 is attached to a chain which, in turn, is attached to a portion the roof which is to be separated. As indicated in dashed lines, the chain may be attached to the portion in various ways. The rodswivel clamp 71 is placed against the other portion the dashboard and the device is expanded. Experiments have shown that if this orientation is reversed such that the cylinder swivel block 55 is placed on the dashand a chain attached tothe rod hook 75 is attached to the roof, the piston rod 31 will usually bend. The improved results with the first orientation is thought to be obtainable due to the interaction of the support block 63 and the cylinder swivel block 55. This arrangement appears to allow pulling a chain without damaging the device.

In a third mode of operation wherein the cylinder/ piston portable rescue device 11 contracts for pulling, with reference to FIG. 4, the rod hook 75 is attached to one portion of a vehicle 92 and the yoke hook 87 is attached to a second portion 93 via an extension chain 95 and an extension hook 97. When the piston rod 31 is pulled into the cylinder 13 the vehicle portions 92 and 93 are pulled together. It should be appreciated that use of the yoke or collar 81 reduces the relative rotation between the cylinder 13 and the piston rod 30 so as to reduce the likelihood of binding or bending of the cylinder 13 or the rod 31. This is especially true when the extension chain 95 and the piston rod 31 do not lie in a line, as is quite often the case. In this regard, it often occurs that a structure 99 lies between two anchoring points and prevents a straight-line pull.

It should also be appreciated that this yoke arrangement could be used for pulling portions of an automobile together which are closer together than the length of the cylinder 13 since the cylinder 13 does not have to be placed between the two portions.

Of course, a fourth mode of operation involves contracting for pulling by use of the rod hook 75 and the cylinder hook 59. As mentioned above this mode is usually used for straight-line pulling.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the cylinder/piston portable rescue device of this invention is extremely versatile in application and convenient and durable in use, as well as being relatively inexpensive to manufacture. In this regard, indications are that this device can be sold for approximate one fifth as much as the scissors spreading device mentioned above. 1

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A portable rescue device of the type which is activated by a pressurized fluid received from a fluid source, said device comprising:

an elongated cylinder having basically closed first and second ends, but with first and second fluid transfer openings located respectively at said first and second ends, and an axially located piston-rod opening located at said first end;

a piston means mounted inside said elongated cylinder and being movable along said elongated cylinder by pressure differentials inside said elongated cylinder;

a piston rod attached to said piston means, said piston rod having an attachment end portion extending through said axially located piston-rod opening at said first end to outside said elongated cylinder;

21 fluid activating system comprising a control valve for receiving fluid of positive pressure from said fluid source and applying said positively pressurized fluid selectively to said respective first and second fluid transfer openings thereby causing pressure differentials across said piston to move said piston along with said attached piston rod, in selective directions along said cylinder;

a cylinder swivel block attached at one end thereof, to said second end of said cylinder, said cylinder swivel block having freedom of movement to rotate in a plane in which the axis of the elongated cylinder lies so that it can selectively be in a position generally aligned with said axis or in a position skew to said axis, with a second end of said cylinder swivel block extending beyond the side of the cylinder when it is in said position skew to said axis; and

a cylinder tether-attaching means for selectively attaching and releasing a tether to and from said second end of said cylinder swivel block, said cylinder tether-attaching means having freedom of movement to rotate in the same plane of rotation as said cylinder swivel block so that said cylinder tetherattaching means can extend away from said cylinder swivel block in a first direction generally aligned with said elongated-cylinder axis when said cylinder swivel block is in a position aligned with said elongated-cylinder axis and in a substantially opposite direction along said cylinder when said cylinder swivel block is in a position skew to said axis;

wherein, said elongated cylinder includes a supporting means which, when said cylinder swivel block is in a position skew to said axis, supports said cylinder swivel block against further rotation and wherein a surface of said cylinder swivel block which faces away from said cylinder when said cylinder swivel block is in said position skew to said axis forms a relatively flat bearing surface which is approximately perpendicular to said cylinder axis.

2. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim I wherein said cylinder swivel block is attached to a mounting arm which axially protrudes away from said cylinder at said second end of said cylinder and wherein said supporting means includes a support block which stops rotation of said cylinder swivel block in a selected skew position.

3. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said selected skew position is approximately perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder.

4. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 1 wherein is further included a rod swivel clamp mounted on said attachment end portion of said piston rod, said rod swivel clamp having freedom of movement to rotate in a plane in which the axis of the elongated cylinder lies so that it can be ina position parallel to said axis or in a position skew to said axis; and

a rod tether-attaching means rotatably attached to said rod swivel clamp having freedom of movement to rotate in the same plane of rotation as said rod swivel clamp;

wherein a surface of said rod swivel clamp which faces away from said cylinder forms a relatively flat surface which is approximately perpendicular to said cylinder axis.

5. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said cylinder swivel block is attached to a mounting arm which protrudes away from said cylinder at said second end of said cylinder and wherein said supporting means includes a support block which stops rotation of said cylinder swivel block in a selected skew position.

6. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said selected skew position is approximately perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder.

7. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 6 wherein it is further included a U-shaped handle means attached to said cylinder for enabling an operator to easily lift said cylinder.

8. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 4 wherein it is further included a second cylinder tether attaching means mounted on said cylinder adjacent to said piston rod opening for selectively attaching and releasing a tether to and from said cylinder at that point.

9. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second cylinder tether attaching means includes a yoke which has a circular portion which is mountable on a shoulder formed on said cylinder and hook supporting portions which are attached to opposite sides of said circular portion and are each attached to a yoke hook.

10. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control valve is mounted on said cylinder. l 

1. A portable rescue device of the type which is activated by a pressurized fluid received from a fluid source, said device comprising: an elongated cylinder having basically closed first and second ends, but with first and second fluid transfer openings located respectively at said first and second ends, and an axially located piston-rod opening located at said first end; a piston means mounted inside said elongated cylinder and being movable along said elongated cylinder by pressure differentials inside said elongated cylinder; a piston rod attached to said piston means, said piston rod having an attachment end portion extending through said axially located piston-rod opening at said first end to outside said elongated cylinder; a fluid activating system comprising a control valve for receiving fluid of positive pressure from said fluid source and applying said positively pressurized fluid selectively to said respective first and second fluid transfer openings thereby causing pressure differentials across said piston to move said piston along with said attached piston rod, in selective directions along said cylinder; a cylinder swivel block attached at one end thereof, to said second end of said cylinder, said cylinder swivel block having freedom of movement to rotate in a plane in which the axis of the elongated cylinder lies so that it can selectively be in a position generally aligned with said axis or in a position skew to said axis, with a second end of said cylinder swivel block extending beyond the side of the cylinder when it is in said position skew to said axis; and a cylinder tether-attaching means for selectively attaching and releasing a tether to and from said second end of said cylinder swivel block, said cylinder tether-attaching means having freedom of movement to rotate in the same plane of rotation as said cylinder swivel block so that said cylinder tetherattaching means can extend away from said cylinder swivel block in a first direction generally aligned with said elongatedcylinder axis when said cylinder swivel block is in a position aligned with said elongated-cylinder axis and in a substantially opposite direction along said cylinder when said cylinder swivel block is in a position skew to said axis; wherein, said elongated cylinder includes a supporting means which, when said cylinder swivel block is in a position skew to said axis, supports said cylinder swivel block against further rotation and wherein a surface of said cylinder swivel block which faces away from said cylinder when said cylinder swivel block is in said position skew to said axis forms a relatively flat bearing surface which is approximately perpendicular to said cylinder axis.
 2. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cylinder swivel block is attached to a mounting arm which axially protrudes away from said cylinder at said second end of said cylinder and wherein said supporting means includes a support block which stops rotation of said cylinDer swivel block in a selected skew position.
 3. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said selected skew position is approximately perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder.
 4. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 1 wherein is further included a rod swivel clamp mounted on said attachment end portion of said piston rod, said rod swivel clamp having freedom of movement to rotate in a plane in which the axis of the elongated cylinder lies so that it can be in a position parallel to said axis or in a position skew to said axis; and a rod tether-attaching means rotatably attached to said rod swivel clamp having freedom of movement to rotate in the same plane of rotation as said rod swivel clamp; wherein a surface of said rod swivel clamp which faces away from said cylinder forms a relatively flat surface which is approximately perpendicular to said cylinder axis.
 5. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said cylinder swivel block is attached to a mounting arm which protrudes away from said cylinder at said second end of said cylinder and wherein said supporting means includes a support block which stops rotation of said cylinder swivel block in a selected skew position.
 6. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said selected skew position is approximately perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder.
 7. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 6 wherein it is further included a U-shaped handle means attached to said cylinder for enabling an operator to easily lift said cylinder.
 8. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 4 wherein it is further included a second cylinder tether attaching means mounted on said cylinder adjacent to said piston rod opening for selectively attaching and releasing a tether to and from said cylinder at that point.
 9. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second cylinder tether attaching means includes a yoke which has a circular portion which is mountable on a shoulder formed on said cylinder and hook supporting portions which are attached to opposite sides of said circular portion and are each attached to a yoke hook.
 10. A portable rescue device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control valve is mounted on said cylinder. 